Jute-Fiber-Reinforced Polyurethane Green Composites Based on Mesua ferrea L. Seed Oil

Two types of environmentally friendly jute-fiber-reinforced green composites based on Mesua ferrea L. were prepared with poly(urethane ester) and poly(urethane amide) resin blends with commercially available partially butylated melamine-formaldehyde and epoxy resins through solution impregnation and hot-curing methods. The composites were cured at a temperature of about 130-140 degrees C under a pressure of 35 +/- 5 kg/cm(2) for about 2 h. The mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, flexural strength, elongation at break, hardness, and density, of all of the composites were measured and compared. The mode of interaction between the filler and the matrix were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the fractured composite samples. The water uptake in different chemical media was observed, and we found that all of the composites possessed excellent hydrolytic stability against almost all of the media except the alkali. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to analyze the thermal behavior of the composites. TGA of the composites showed degradation much above that of the virgin blends, which indicated their high thermostability. The glass-transition temperatures, as shown by DSC analysis, were found to be much higher. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 115: 843-850, 2010